Be Strong, My Sister
by KiniElle
Summary: Mei, from Singapore, is forced to be a tavern girl by her wicked stepmother. Mei's first job is none other than Jack Sparrow! Ashamed, she runs away to find her sister on another island. Jack agrees to take Mei on his ship. Will she ever find her sister?
1. The Younger Sister

Chapter 1 – The Younger Sister

* * *

"I hear Jack Sparrow an' 'is crew jus' pulled inta port."

The scruffy man's words fell just in reach of a petite, slender girl, who happened to be walking past the open tavern.

She was the tailor's youngest daughter and wrapped in a blue kimono, lighter than the bright sky. Dark bangs, cut straight, fell flat across her forehead and dusted her brow. Dark, glistening eyes sat in almond-shaped lids, hidden by her woven straw hat.

There was a stirring of excitement in her stomach. '_Captain Jack Sparrow is in our town?_' she thought. She had never seen him before, but she had heard plenty of stories about him, especially from the tavern girls.

Her eyes shifted, still shrouded by the rim of her hat, to glance at the man who had spoken. The man was sitting at a small, wooden, round table with two other men. The two men also looked up at him, mildly interested. One man's gaze shifted to the passing girl. She quickly turned her eyes forward and continued walking.

"Mei!"

She looked up from under the brim of her hat to find who had called her name. There, at one of the vegetable stands, was her older sister, Mao. She waved to her.

Mao was taller and stouter than her sister. She was twenty years of age and Mei's older sister by three years. Every since their mother had died from a sickness, Mao took a motherly role over Mei, sometimes seeming bossy and controlling. But things were changing in their town, and Mao did not know what she would do if something were to happen to Mei, and Mei knew she loved her.

They greeted each other hello with a hug and a kiss.

"Come," Mao said, "Father wanted us home before lunch."

"Oh! Can we buy some mangoes?" Mei asked, pointing to the barrel of fruit. They were her favorite. "They're juiciest in the early summer."

Mao held her head up willfully.

"Father only gave us enough money to buy bread. We can't afford it right now."

A sorrowful smile appeared on Mei's lips. They weren't poor always. Before their mother, the talented seamstress, passed away, money was easier to come by. But now business was slow and their father was forced to remarry to support them with all he could get, which was very little.

She turned away from the plump mangoes.

"Okay, Mao. We will enjoy the bread."

They linked arms as they walked through the busy town market place to their home.

Mei's thoughts again turned to the mysterious pirate captain.

"_Mao_," the little sister said in a hushed voice, "_Guess what I heard!_"

Mao smiled and rolled her eyes. "I couldn't possibly guess, just tell me."

Mei smiled back.

"_Captain Jack Sparrow is in town!_"

"**_Where did you here that?_**"

"_Shh!_" Mei hushed her sister. Some townspeople turned to look at where the outburst had come from, and returned to their business. "I heard some men at a tavern-"

Mao rolled her eyes again.

"- but they_ looked_ like pirates! So, they would know!"

Mao laughed. It was a pleasant, charming laugh.

"Oh, Mei. Stay away from those pirates."

They walked in silence through the rest of the market. Mei watched children playing in the streets and clutching to their mother's skirts. The mothers were busy buying from and bargaining with the vendors, but they kept one hand open to pet the head of their clinging child. A man walked passed them, probably towards the tavern, and Mei caught sight of a tattoo on his arm.

The man's arm was permanently inked with a bleached skull wearing a pirate's bandana. It was surrounded by blood red roses and sea blue ribbons.

"What do you think he looks like?" Mei asked, breaking the silence between them.

"What do I think who looks like?" said Mao, checking that she had everything in her woven basket.

"Jack Sparrow!"

"_Mei!_"

Mei giggled behind her pale hand and continued to imagine what the notorious pirate might look like.


	2. The Calm and The Storm

Chapter 2 – The Calm and The Storm

* * *

"Hurry," said Mao, "There's a storm approaching."

Mei watched as bright sunlight and light blues yielded to darkening clouds far out on the ocean horizon.

Their house was out of the marketplace on a sloping hill. They ascended each step together, as they did since they were much younger.

Inside the house, Mao shut the door behind them. Mei took the basket from Mao and placed the bread on the kitchen counter.

"Where have you been?" a woman's voiced scratched.

"Oh! Mother," exclaimed Mei, almost dropping the basket. She turned to catch a glimpse of her stepmother in the archway. "I didn't see you there."

Their stepmother was cruel and cold-hearted. Her hair was thick as a fist of straw and dark as a crow's feather. Her face was set in a constant frown that pulled her skin tight over her cheek bones. Dark, beady eyes stared frigidly out from under thin, drawn-on eye brows. Her lips were as thin as two needles with a speech just as sharp.

"_Stupid girl_," she muttered. "Where's your sister?"

"I'll go find her, Mother."

Mei left the bread and basket on the counter, rushed past the mother, and scrambled upstairs. She turned into the room she and her sister shared.

"Mao," she whispered, "Mother wants you."

The older sister sat at their vanity and brushed her long, silky hair before gathering it into a bun atop her head.

Mei looked around the room. "I thought Father would be here," she said with unease.

"He'll be home soon," Mao responded. She thought he would have been home earlier, also.

Their stepmother acted lovingly towards the father and extra tender to the sisters when the father was near. However, when their father was gone, she cursed at Mao and threatened to beat Mei.

The stepmother called from downstairs,"Mao? Where are you?"

Getting up, Mao responded, "I'll be right down, Mother." She glided past her sister and down the stairs.

Alone, Mei sat on her sister's bed. She heard indiscernible yells of voices coming from below, growing louder. She didn't realize she was crying until she saw tears run down her own reflection's face. She wiped them away with the sleeves of her kimono.

'_Our stepmother makes Father so falsely content_,' she thought to herself. '_But how could I ever ruin his happiness?_'

The shouting had quieted down to an eerie stillness, followed by the slam of a door. Sensing something wrong, Mei exited the room and descended the stairs.

"Mao?" she called. There was no answer.

"Mother, do you know where Mao is?"

The stepmother was in the kitchen preparing a lunch for Father.

"No," said the stepmother nonchalantly. "She's run away, _the brat_."

"**_What?_**" cried Mei. She froze, standing motionless in the living room. The clouds were becoming darker, and lightening could be seen far across the ocean.

"Where is she going? Is she coming back? Why?" Surely this must be a cruel joke, she thought. Or Mao will return in a few minutes, perhaps she just needed to cool her temper.

"Don't ask so many questions, it's very unattractive," spat the stepmother. "She didn't even say goodbye to you. How awful of a sister."

Mei's eyes widened with a new uncertainty and her mouth fell agape, speechless. '_My sister is gone!_'

"Why did she leave?" she questioned again, finding her voice. "_What did you do to her_?"

"Ex_cuse_ me?" yelled the stepmother, turning from her work and approaching Mei. "I was only trying to help support this family! I thought that maybe your lazy sister could get a job!"

"She helps Father!" Mei corrected, still in a shock of her sister's absence. Mao sews for Father, when his arthritis becomes too much to handle a needle and thread.

"A much better paying job opened for tonight, and I just thought she would like it," she said repulsively.

Mei noticed the distaste in her voice.

"What job?" Mei felt an angry pressure building in her throat.

The stepmother returned to fixing a plate full of food for her father

"I only suggested that they needed a new girl down at the tavern. I assumed she was into those _dirty_ things, seeing how she is rather _sluttish_."

Mei began to feel a sickness build in her stomach. Her throat felt horse, and she could feel something urging to be said. Though less audible than a whisper, she spoke.

"_Monster_."

The stepmother paused and turned to face her again.

"What did you say?" she threatened.

"Monster!" Mei said, with more force, and still growing. "You monster! You've ruined my family!" She yelled with all the years of bottled feeling of helplessness and hatred towards the woman in front of her.

"How _dare_ you, you _ungrateful child_! I'm helping this wretched family!" the stepmother yelled back. "…and it seems I overlooked you." Her voice became peculiar.

Mei's anger faded and was replaced by an increasing dread.

"You're not _that_ pretty," she began. Mei watched her eyes graze over her. "But I'm sure some drunken sailor would take you down at the tavern."

Mei lost her voice again. Her face flushed and her heart pumped in her ears. Thunder crashed from over the ocean.

"We still need the money. You'll take your sister's place," she ordered. "Don't try to do anything_ stupid_, girl!" she warned. "Your father is having enough trouble making ends meet. This is the only way you can truly be helpful to your family."

The stepmother moved closer to her ear.

"If you tell him of this," she continued. "I will say you chose to do so on your own. You wouldn't want to shame your father like that, would you?"

Mei remained motionless.

"_Would you_?"

She shook her head 'no' and shut her eyes, causing tears to emerge and be flung off her face.

Suddenly, the door opened and Mei's father entered.

"Hurry upstairs and get washed up, my sweet!" The stepmother pasted on a false smile as quick as a wink and with her bony hands, ushered Mei to the staircase.

"Hello, darling!" said the father. "How are my girls today? I was almost caught in that storm!"

Father was older than middle aged and wrinkled from worrying about money. His head was balding but his smile was warm and there was a shine in his black eyes, so unaware to the cruelness of his new wife and the unhappiness of his daughters. In his arm he carried some cloth and thread from his shop for Mao to sew into clothes, which he set down on a table.

"Oh, we're wonderful darling! You go get washed up, too, so you can enjoy your lunch."

Mei ran upstairs and shut the door to her room. She fell onto her sister's bed and let out quiet sobs that gave way to a tear-stained face and a shaking body.

Thunder rumbled, rolling across the town. Dark, bruised clouds gathered and heavy droplets of salty rain began to fall against the earth.


	3. The Tavern Dress

Chapter 3 – The Tavern Dress

* * *

Mei stayed confined in her room the remainder of the day, restless and anticipating the night. Her only comfort was to hold the kimono her mother had made for her just before she died. The mother's gift was given to Mei on her fourteenth birthday. It was a light pink with lavender collar that matched the thin accent on the thick width of dark pink belt. The bottom was decorated in a floral design of the darker pink. It was beautiful.

"It's a little long," she remembered her mother saying with a smile, "but I know you'll grow into it!"

She didn't. When wearing it without shoes, she tripped. Her fingers ended a good three inches before the sleeves did. Still, she loved it.

Downstairs, her stepmother lied and old her father that Mei was not feeling well, and not to disturb her and that Mao was out with her good friends. He returned to his shop when he finished his lunch. The stepmother watched as he made his way down the walkway into town. When she could no longer see him, she quickly made her way to Mei's room and knocked angrily on the door.

"Open this door right now, girl!"

Her threat was muffled through the wooden door. Mei's tears had dried, and she dejectedly called, "Just a moment." She placed the kimono delicately inside her dresser and ruefully opened the door.

"Here." The stepmother shoved a bundle of red material through the opening into her arms. "This is a dress you will wear. Start getting ready now."

With that, the stepmother closed the door, and again left Mei in isolation. She let the fabric unfold as she held it up. It was bright red and sleeveless, hemmed at the edges in scratchy gold thread. The same thread was used in the decorative flower blossom on the chest. Slightly trembling as she held it up to herself, the bottom hem barely reached her knees.

She threw it on the bed and cried into her hands. Eventually, she came to the devastating conclusion that she had no choice but to wear the dress. She untied her belt with shivering hands.

She stripped off the rest of her clothing and hastily slid the thin, red material over her head. She pulled and shifted the fabric in hopes of making it fit better, but it was to no avail. There was too much fabric for her small frame, especially at the bust and hips. She willed herself to look in the mirror. She saw what she had expected.

She did not see a sultry or cheap woman. She saw young lady, misplaced and awkward in cheap clothing.

'_Mother_,' she thought, '_please forgive me._' She could not bear to imagine how much she would have shamed her lovely mother.

Having noticed that much time had passed, she sat down in front of the mirror so she could begin applying makeup. She began with her foundation, powering her face a slightly paler white. She applied blush and eye makeup and borrowed her sister's lipstick because she could not find hers. She pulled her hair up into a bun and pinned it. Her bangs hid her forehead.

She stared into the mirror, fighting back tears that threatened to overflow because she knew she would need to reapply all her makeup if she cried.

There came a loud banging on her door.

"Are you finished, girl?" The stepmother swung open the door.

Mei jumped up from her chair and spun around to face her. "Yes, Mother."

"Well, then, come! You'll be late if you waste anymore time." She grabbed Mei's arm with her twisted fist and pulled her out the room and down the stairs. The youth gasped and struggled against her grip, but could not escape.

The stepmother dragged Mei out the door, down the stairs, and through the quiet town. The town was silent until they approached the tavern, glowing with a yellow light and buzzing with men and women of the night hours.

Nearing the entrance, Mei's stomach began to turn and her knees began to shake. Women, dressed in more revealing clothing than she was wearing, stood outside. Some leaned on the tavern's outer walls, smoking and smiling at men entering the bar. One pointed to her and giggled to her friend.

Mei didn't notice that they had stopped until she heard her stepmother ask, "Are you Scarlet?"

Mei looked up. In front of them stood an older woman dressed in a tight red corset that left her tanned shoulders bare and chest exposed. Her skirt's hem left inches of bare legs past her knee-high boots. Atop her head, dark blonde hair was gathered messily, leaving strands of curls around her face and at the base of her neck. Her lips and cheeks were painted with red, and her eyes were painted with smoky shadows. Her arms were crossed as she looked the stepmother in the eyes.

"Yeah, I am," Scarlet said huskily. Her eyes shifted to Mei. "Is this the girl?"

Mei looked up with nervous eyes. The stepmother answered for her, "Yes."

Scarlet tilted her head, looking her up and down. "Yer pretty cute, girl. You'll be fine." She flashed Mei a wide and honest grin.

"So," the stepmother said, "you'll pay her tonight?"

Scarlet answered, "Yes, ma'am."

"May I have the money now?" she asked, smoothing her dress and wearing a forged smile.

Scarlet shot her a glare. "_She's_ the one working," gesturing with a lean, tanned arm to Mei. "_She'll_ be getting' _'er_ money when she's finished."

The stepmother's smile faltered a moment. She pasted it on again, talking to Mei through her clenched teeth, "Well, then, Mei…just don't do anything silly with that money, dearest." She wrapped her arms around Mei in a sort of embrace. "_When you return, give that money to me! Only I know how to manage it!"_

"Ok, let's be goin' , girl. You can start yer work now." Scarlet pulled Mei from her stepmother and ushered her into the tavern.

Mei looked around the room full of people. There was a bar inside, as well, with scruffy men ordering drinks for themselves and the ladies around them. There were larges tables with men drinking and playing cards and some couples dancing to the music of the band of town musicians.

Mei's interest was slightly sparked; she knew pirates would visit these taverns. More importantly, the infamous Jack Sparrow would visit these taverns. She suddenly flushed, realizing that Jack Sparrow and the other pirates didn't just come here to drink. She realized some men turned to look at her, and she abruptly felt how exposed she was.

She turned, ready to run from the tavern, forgetting that Scarlet was behind her. She bumped into her decorated corset.

"Woah, there, dear," said Scarlet. "What did you say yer name was?"

Mei's mouth moved without words. She swallowed and spoke her name with all the courage she could gather.

"Mei? That's a pretty name, dear." She smiled at her again, a wide, pleasant smile.

Mei saw her genuine smile and smokey blue eyes, and thought, '_She really is beautiful._' Her own mouth lifted at the corners. "Thank you," she said.

"Well, dear, as you be seein' , this the tavern and there's the bar," said Scarlet, gesturing to where the drinks were being served. "You'll be getting' to know the family of working girls here, we're kinda like sisters, we are. But enough talk!"

Mei looked up into her dusty eyes that were scanning the surroundings and people. They were set aglow by the same light from the lanterns and candles strung around the tavern.

"Since you're new, I'll be givin' ya an easy one," she said, eyes fixed on a back table. "Head o'er to that table, there," she pointed. "See that man in the corner?"

Mei saw him, and nodded numbly.

"Get to work." With that, Scarlet gave her a push that propelled her almost to the edge of the specified table. Mei tripped in her heels and managed to steady herself by grabbing the rim of the table.

She froze when a husky voice asked her, "Hello, there, luv. What's your name?"

A strong hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her towards him. Caught off guard, she tripped in her heels again, and fell into a lap. Pressed hard against a warm body, Mei clenched her body tight.

"Come now, dear," the voice whispered in her ear. "What's your name?" His unshaven face nuzzled into her neck, breathing heat and scent of beer. Her skin burst into goose bumps and shivers. His arm snaked around her waist and held her firmly. "We don't have all night."

* * *

Oh, you just know it's Jack Sparrow 3


	4. The Sparrow

Chapter 4 - The Sparrow

* * *

"You know, you really are a thin, little lass," he said, squeezing his arm around her waist tighter. "But I didn't quite catch your name, luv." He pulled away from her neck and loosened his grip. Mei, still motionless, almost flinched when his fingers grazed across her chin, turning her head to face him.

She stared for a long time at his face. The corner was dimly lit, so she struggled to make out his face exactly. His hair was dark and long and in some sections, it was braided and strung with colored beads of glass and clay. She assumed it was his hat that was on the table, but he now wore a deep red bandana across his forehead. Pressed against him, she felt a hard metal buckle of his belt and felt something that, she prayed, was his gun.

His smoky eyes glimmered from the light of the flickering candles and explored her now ferociously blushing face. She watched as his lips curled up into a smooth grin.

"I knew a girl who looked just like you," he said, pulling her face nearer. "She was very pretty."

She could feel his breathing, hot, on her mouth. His lips grazed over hers, sending a spark through her body, and she pushed him away.

"What's the matter, luv?" he asked. His grip remained just as steady as she pushed against his hard chest.

She couldn't tell him that she never kissed a man before. This was all going too fast for her. There had to be a way out. Thinking quickly, she forced herself to speak. "I- I don't even know your name!"

Gesturing with his free hand, he said "I believe we've been though this, dear, and you declined."

"Mei," she said, pausing in her pushing him away. "My name is Mei."

A grin spread across his lips. "Mei, hm?" he mused. "A pretty name for a pretty lass."

She was almost flattered. He moved in again, and Mei once more tried to escape. He slouched and leaned back, pulling her with him.

"This refusal of yours was cute, but it's really just annoying now, dear."

He could have been handsome, she thought, but her shame veiled her eyes as she forced herself to look at him. She began, "I still don't know your name yet."

She was thinking of all she could do to buy herself some more time, but she could only think of a few plans, and she was running out of them, and fast. She thought she may have stopped him, there. She figured most people wouldn't want others to know they'd been with a girl at the tavern.

"Alright, luv," he began. "Let's make a deal."

He held her closer; their noses almost touched. It made it impossible not to stare into his dark, gleaming eyes. She noticed her reflection in their shadows. His breath was hot and mixed with her own.

"If you promise to stop pushing me away, dear, I'll promise to tell you my name."

She saw her reflection flinch. Her stomach dropped. She had really hoped he would decline.

"What do you say, luv?"

"I-" she stammered, and tried to think of a way out, but it was to no avail. Her gaze dropped. She caught a glimpse of his mouth, almost being pulled into a grin. She shut her eyes. "I promise." She tried to swallow but her throat had dried.

"There's a good lass," he murmured. Feeling doomed, her body fell almost limp as the arm around her waist held her firmly. His other hand began to trail up the outside of her leg, and she did not move to push it away.

Holding up his end of the promise, he spoke softly into her ear, lips brushing her soft flesh. "My name is Jack."

His deep voice sent shivers down her neck and across her chest. She felt his hand, heavy on her leg, traveling up her thigh. She swallowed a lump in her throat.

"But you," he continued, smiling against her cheek and moving his hand under the hem of her red-and-gold dress, "may call me Captain Jack Sparrow."

Her eyes flew open and her body tensed and in an instant. Breaking her promise, she sat up and shoved his traveling hand away from her leg.

He pulled away, slightly taken back. Mei, astounded that this was the famous Captain Jack Sparrow, felt a surge of sickness; she had experienced how dark and mature the famous Captain could be.

"You broke your promise, luv," he observed.

She didn't care. She didn't want to be there, with him, anymore.

She came to her last resort, begging. "Please, let go of me."

"I kept my promise to you," he drawled.

"Please, I- I forgot I need to be somewhere." It was a sorry excuse for a lie and she knew it, but it was the only one she had left.

"Luv," he began, twirling a piece of her hair that had fallen out of her bun, "that be the worst lie mine ears have ever heard." She cringed.

"Please, let go," she repeated, looking down and away from him with glossy tears starting to gather at the lashes of her shut eyes.

Something in Jack Sparrow sobered when he noticed her tears. He realized how young she looked. She looked genuinely nervous and uneasy. She trembled faintly and a single tear rolled down her cheek. Watching this girl, sitting on his lap on the verge of overflowing tears, he doubted she would be any fun tonight.

He exhaled. "Well, dear," he began, coming up with a quick lie, "it just so happens that I need to be somewhere, too."

She turned her head to look at him. There was a curious smile on his face that vanished as soon as she saw it.

He continued, "I actually have many important things to attend to, so, if you don't mind?"

He pushed her up and off of his lap. She immediately felt the lack of warmth of where she had been pressed against him, and now stood, slightly wavering in her heels and watched as he, too, began to stand up.

Sensing her freedom from the situation, Mei turned away from him and quickly made her way out of the tavern and into the moonlit-washed street. She first a fear of being scolded by Scarlet for leaving her job, but then reassured herself that she would not be returning, anyway.

It was silent in the town as she turned in the direction of her home and started walking. She tripped again in her shoes. In frustration, she tore them off and threw them aside, preferring to walk barefoot on the still wet dirt of the road. Her mind was a tumultuous storm of thoughts. She thought of her stepmother, and her walking slowed. Her feet slowed and slowed until they had stopped moving her altogether.

'_I can't go home,'_ she thought. She was exhausted, frustrated, and emotionally drained.

She gently wrung her hands together and leaned her head back. She stared at the glowing moon. After a few more nights of waxing, it would be full. Even without its full radiance, the moon bathed the town and her face in pale light and cast dark shadows. Tears, once again, threatened to spill over Mei's eyes. She shut her eyes, clenched her fists, and ran.

Aww, she's so confused. I can't think of anyone else who would deny Jack Sparrow anything... ^_^


	5. The Velvet Moon

Chapter 5 – The Velvet Moon

* * *

She ran until her feet were numb and her legs felt like jelly. She ran until she stopped crying.

When she did stop, she was nearly back where she started and swallowing air into her burning lungs. She took one last deep breath and released it slowly, feeling slightly better than before. She felt a wave of exhaustion wash over her, and regretted her furious sprinting.

She sensed someone was watching her, and looked back over her shoulder. The street was empty.

Suddenly, she was grabbed by a hand and pulled into the shadows, her scream caught in her throat. Just as she could feel a shriek rising from her lungs, she saw her attacker's face in a beam of moonlight.

"Mao?"

Her sister, without makeup and in traveling clothes, smiled.

"Sorry to frighten you, little sister!"

Mei hugged her sister tightly, and Mao hugged her just as tight.

"I thought you ran away!" Mei said, still holding her.

Mao whispered, "I did. Well, we are."

Tears started to flood Mei's eyes as she explain that the stepmother wanted her to be a tavern girl, and how the stepmother forced her to take Mao's place after Mao left. Mao looked down.

"Oh, Mei...," she looked over her shabby, red dress. "I'm so sorry, Mei. I knew I couldn't leave you with her, so I wanted to come and take you with me."

Mei smiled. "I don't care where we are to go, just as long as we're together."

Mao smiled back. "You were always so brave, little sister." Mao took one last look at her from head to toe.

"Well, you can't go dressed in that." Mei rolled her eyes. "And where are your shoes?" Mei giggled as Mao took her arm and led her through the streets.

"Wait," said Mei, "Where are we going?"

"Home," said Mao. "We'll just pick up some things."

Their house was illuminated by moonlight, but no lights were shinning from the inside. Mao turned to Mei and gestured to be silent with her finger pressed against her lips. Mei nodded, and followed Mao in a crouched position. Mao led her to the back of the house where a ladder had been upright under their window. Mei looked at Mao, who winked. Mao was the first up the ladder. She opened the window as silently as she could and slid inside. She signaled for Mei to come up.

Once in the room, Mei's eyes adjusted to the lack of light.

"Gather your things," Mao whispered. "I'll be right back."

Mei nodded as Mao left the room cautiously. Snores could be heard coming from their stepmother's bedroom.

Mei pulled her traveling bag out from under her bed and placed it open on top of her bedspread. She packed her brush, makeup, and perfume and turned now to her closet. She pulled undergarments and dresses from the closet and folded them into her bag. From the window, a beam of white moonlight floated over the rose colored dress she had left sprawled on the bed in haste. If ever there was a special occasion to wear it, the moment was now.

She stripped the scratchy red material off, crumpled it up in a ball and threw it on the floor. The pink sleeves floated over her arms and wrapped her in comfort of quality fabric and sewing. It was soft and cool and glided over her skin like silk. She tied the belt behind her snugly and smoothed out the folds. She glanced, once more, into the mirror. The sleeves were still a bit too long, but it was beautiful.

'_Mother_,' she thought, '_thank you._'

Just then, she heard movement outside of her door. It was Mao, carrying two cloth carriers, one in each hand.

"Here," whispered Mao. She handed Mei one of the bunches. Mei took it, slightly confused.

"It's food," she whispered.

"Oh," whispered Mei. "Thanks!"

Mao moved to the window.

"Are you ready to leave?"

Mei nodded and followed Mao to the window. Mao started down the ladder when Mei remembered her hat.

"I forgot something!" she whispered to Mao while leaning out the window.

She wondered where her hat was, after looking under her bed, where she had usually stowed it. She absent mindedly followed a moon beam with her eyes. It landed on the wrap of food Mao packed for her.

'…_in the kitchen!_'

She had placed it on the counter after returning from the market with Mao, and it was probably still there. The hat was in the kitchen, and the kitchen was downstairs.

She returned to the window. Mao was already on the ground, arms folded and looking around cautiously.

"Psst!"

The older sister looked up.

"My hat is in the kitchen! I'll be right back!" She tossed down her food satchel.

Mao caught it, but fumbled. "Wha-? Mei, don't-!"

Mei had left the window before Mao could warn her. She grabbed her sandals, but did not put them on; their steps would surely wake her stepmother. She slowly opened the bedroom door without a sound. The house's silence was broken by the stepmother's constant snores.

She placed one foot on each stair a thousand times as she had done before, but now with more of a purpose and more to be lost if she made a sound. At last, she reached the ground floor and smiled to herself proudly. She walked into the kitchen and found her hat on the counter. She moved to grab it, but in doing so, knocked over a tea cup with her elbow.

The ceramic crashed against wood, and the snoring stopped.


	6. The Abandonment

Chapter 5 – The Abandonment

* * *

She froze, clutching the hat in her fist, almost breaking the straw threads. Though she felt as if she had been frozen for an eternity, only a few seconds had passed. In the new, still silence, she prayed her heartbeat pounding in her ears was not as loud as it seemed.

Suddenly, she could hear a choking sound, followed by more continuing snores. She released the breath she didn't realize she was holding, and made her way, silently, out the front door, hat in hand.

She closed the door gently and ran to the back of the house.

"Mao!" she whispered.

Mao, who thought Mei would be coming out of the window, was surprised to see her there. Not wanting to waste anymore time with questions, she pulled the ladder back and laid it on the ground. Mei grabbed her things and followed Mao to the beach.

The sand was as glowing and white as the moon. Dark waves rolled against the shore.

"Mei," her sister said, looking off to where the sea became one with the sky, "we won't leave forever."

Mei kept her head down and continued dragging her finger through the white sand, embedding outlandish designs.

"We'll return one day…"

Mei remained crouched, but looked up at her sister with tired eyes.

"But we just can't stay here for now." Mao looked down at her little sister.

Mei gave a weak nod and mumbled, "I know."

They both turned to watch the sea, waves crashing against pure, white sand. Near the edge of the ocean, the midnight sky would prepare for the arrival of the sun, but there still remained an hour or so of darkness yet to come.

"There's an island a few day's journey away, my friend owns a hotel in the Port of Larat, and I'm sure she'll give us room. I've paid for passage on two ships. They both leave at dawn, and both make stops in that port. Tonight, go to the west port. Three docks across, a light sloop will be stationed. Here is your ticket. It's late as it is, you should go now."

Mei held the ticket, rose from her knees and embraced her once more.

Mei smiled, nodded, and picked up her things. "I'll see you in Larat."

Mao watched as her little sister walked off the beach and towards the west port.

The moon was falling when she approached the ships rocking in their harbors. Mei perused the ships in the dock. Waves lapped against the soaked wooden pillars. Three spaces down, the dock was empty. The pier was empty, not a soul to be found. The dawn was approaching.

Her hands rose to her face. She shook her head.

Had she missed the ship? The only way away from her stepmother? The only way to get to her sister?

The hollow footsteps of heavy boots echoed behind her. A deep, male voice spoke.

"What's wrong, luv?"


	7. The Contract

Chapter 7 – The Contract

* * *

Her hands flew from her face as she turned to see where the voice had originated. Her stomach flipped and fell. A familiar face, but one she had hoped never to see again.

"Jack Sparrow!"

He spread his arms and grinned. "None other."

He swaggered towards her, a bit intoxicated.

"I thought we met before… Mei, is it?"

The night air was cool, but that was not why a shiver crawled up her back.

"What ye be doing her, luv?"

He stepped closer, until she could see the light of the moon on the waves reflected in his eyes. A strange calm enveloped her. He was handsome in the soft light.

"I think I may have missed my ship."

The words left her mouth before she could think.

"Your ship? You mean to tell me that you actually had somewhere to be?" he teased. "Where were ye going?"

She dropped her head, as her senses made no attempt to seal her lips. "Port of Larat…" She was tired.

"Really, luv?" There was a mild surprise hidden in his voice.

She looked up, and he looked out towards the ocean.

"Because it just so happens… that I am passing by that port. You could come aboard my ship."

She stared into his face, while he ignored her and gazed out on the moonlit ocean.

"Please, Captain, I am not in the mood for false promises."

"That wasn't a promise, my dear. It was an invitation." His voice was low, but she heard every word perfectly.

She clutched her hands to her chest, where she felt a small light of hope and a small smile begin to tug at her lips.

"For a small fee, of course."

Her mouth dropped. "I beg your pardon? A small fee? I thought it was an invitation!"

"Well, you didn't think you were going to get a free ride, now, did you? Yes, you're cute, luv, but not that cute. At least 10 gold, I think that's fair."

Her stomach and all her hopes dropped. How much would the tavern have paid her for her almost 10 minutes of work? She doubted it would be enough.

"Wha- But how? I don't-" she had trouble making sentences, she was so unprepared to what he had said. This was her second chance; she was so close, just to have the pirate that offered the chance to her snatch it away.

"Well, luv?" he said, crossing his arms.

"I- I don't have the money," she said dejectedly and truly. She hung her head and picked at her nails.

He was still for a moment. His eyes glanced towards her for a moment, then back to the sea. "Okay, then." He held out his arms and bowed before turning away from her and walking down the pier. "Goodbye, luv." He had not taken ten steps when he heard,

"Wait!"

He stopped in tracks, but didn't turn to face her. A grin began to pull across his lips.

Her soft voice rang out again against the ocean's crashing waves. "Let's make a deal."


	8. The Debt

Chapter 8 - The Debt

* * *

A grin pulled against his teeth. He spun to face her.

"A deal, luv?"

She looked down, not being able to look him in the eyes.

"What kind of deal did you have in mind?" he continued, walking towards her.

"I thought, that, um-" The legendary pirate captain came closer with each word she spoke.

"Well, maybe…"

She began wondering what she had that a pirate like Jack Sparrow could use.

"I could be…"

At the tavern, there seemed to be only one thing he needed. She blushed. And forced her mind to find an excuse of how she could be of use to him, with him, on his ship, with his crew… And she had an idea. It might have been the same as selling her soul, but it was the only chance she had left.

"I could be a part of your crew?"

Her voice was barely heard at a whisper, but he heard her perfectly, as he was as close as he could be without touching her. She could smell the hot spicy rum on his breath, but did not dare look up to his lips.

"And what part would that be, luv?" His fingers played with a section of her dark hair that was caught by the ocean's breeze and pushed it away from her face, softly brushing his hand down her cheek and jawbone. His touch was warm.

"Well," she gulped, her throat suddenly becoming tight. She knew how to cook, clean, sew and mend things.

"Things that only a woman can do." She glanced up, to see if he had shown a spark of interest. Suddenly, she blushed, and immediately wished she had re-worded her answer.

"Well, my dear, you seemed a bit unwilling to do that at the tavern." The moonlight glinted across his eyes and toothy grin. His lips threatened to press against hers, his hot spiced breath warming her trembling mouth.

Her hands flew up and covered her lips as she quickly stumbled back and away from him. "That's not at all what I meant, Captain! I can cook and clean and work with a needle and thread. I'll do all of these things, in exchange for traveling with you to the Port of Larat."

His smile had vanished. His hand rose to his beard and stoked it, as if in deep musing. She could not determine if he was only humoring her before he leaves her stranded.

"I already have a cook, luv. And many men keep my ship looking in tip top shape."

A feeling of helplessness began to fill Mei's bones. All the positions seemed to be filled. She would be left here, abandoned.

"But, I have been in the market for a seamstress."

Her eyes slowly rose to meet his. His hands were on his hips, and he stared deeply into her eyes. Not only was she familiar with a thread and needle, but her mother trained her since she was young. It was one of the dearest activities that she did today that reminded Mei of her sweet mother. This unanticipated gift from her mother would be the key to saving her.

"Do you really mean that?"

He placed his hand across his heart. "I swear on pain of death I shall take you along to Port of Larat, in exchange for your sewing ability. Do we have an accord?"

A true smile pulled at her cheeks, the first smile in what seemed like ages. "Agreed!"

"Let's shake on it, luv." He bowed slightly and extended his hand towards her. She gazed at his hand hesitantly. Touching him, this legend she'd only heard of before now, was a strange feeling.

He watched her smile and glazed eyes. "Unless, of course, you'd prefer to seal the deal with a kiss…"

Her eyes opened and her cheeks flushed immediately. She quickly reached out and grabbed his hand, rough and warm compared to her petit and soft palm, and shook his hand, completing the deal.


	9. The Pair

Chapter 9 – The Pair

* * *

"This way, luv. Let's not waste anymore time." He glided his arm over her slim shoulders and directed her across to the other side of the port. She gently swung her shoulders out from the drape of his arm. Slightly offended by her actions, Jack murmured into her ear.

"If I may be so bold to say, I take it you're a virgin at this sort of thing, luv…"

She gasped. These were not matters for a young lady to be discussing with an indiscriminate dirty pirate captain.

"Don't fret; though this was an impulsive deal, I think you'll enjoy it."

Terribly embarrassed, she yelped.

"Captain!"

"Do I offend? You mean to say you've been a part of a pirate crew before?"

She stuttered and tried to hide her blush. Was that what he was referring to? "No, never!"

He laughed. "Well, then you're a virgin at that sort of thing, nothing to fret about. There are some rules, luv, but they're more like guidelines. You'll catch on fast."

She turned and looked into his eyes. Did he really just mean that phrase before innocently? He caught her gaze. Her flushed face and parted lips sparked his interest. He was struck by her surprised look. Slowly, the Captain realized why she had blushed so tremendously. A slight grin lifted his lips. She was still very young, this lass, he thought. There had better be compensation in the afterworld for his help to this girl.

"It appears you're a virgin at other things, as well."

She hurriedly looked away and focused on the massive wooden ship floated ominously against the horizon. The skies had begun to lose their darkness and slowly filled with color. Suddenly, she felt exhausted. Her lids were heavy and each step became more and more of a challenge to lift her legs. She tripped on an uneven board on the pier and started to fall. By instinct, she reached out for something to grab onto and catch herself. Her hand clasped the arm of Jack Sparrow, who then made the attempt to steady her.

"I'm very sorry!" she said faintly, pushing against both his arms to straighten herself. He had a sturdy hold on both her arms.

"Easy, there, luv," he said rather tenderly. "Are you alright?"

She rubbed her face with her hand.

"Just a little tired." She pushed her way from him, he unwillingly let go of her. She took three more steps before wavering, and Jack quickly came up behind her, where she fell backwards into him.

Her eyes were shut; she fell into a necessary and heavy sleep against his warm chest. Jack stood there for a moment, looking around and pondering on whether to leave her there. He sighed.

"Alright, lass. A deal is a deal." He bent down and picked her legs up, cradling her in his arms. She made a noise and furrowed her brow, but then turned into his chest, breathing deep.

As he made his way down the pier, he hoped the rest of the crew would be asleep or out, so he could stow her away for now and explain things later.

It was rather bothersome carrying the dead weight. He looked down.

"You know, dear," he said to her, "you seem light, but when you're not cooperating, you can weight more than an anchor."

She said nothing, but started to drool. He returned to getting the both of them on the vessel.

Once on the ship, he paused to see if anyone was around. Seeing no one, he shifted her weight and carried her to his cabin. He set her down, but held her up with one hand while he used his now free hand to turn the knob and push open the door. The door hit the wall, causing her head to snap up. She looked around, dazed.

"You'll be staying here for a while, luv," he said, gesturing to inside the cabin. He walked her inside the dimly lit room over to his bed. He sat her down on the end as he went to get a pillow. She continued to look around the room in awe at all the treasures and things he had collected and kept in his room. Her gaze fell on him and watched him as he pulled the sheets back.

"Thank you," she said, almost as a whisper. He turned to her and picked her up, placing he head on the pillow and body under a cool blanket.

"Don't thank me just yet, luv."

She closed her eyes as nestled herself into the sheets, but still listened as she slept.

"A deal is a deal."


End file.
